TheBlaze: Catholic Parents Clash Over Common Core in Milwaukee

Parents of Catholic children in the Milwaukee are at a face off with the Milwaukee archbishop over implementing Common Core standards in Catholic schools, a sign that the controversial standards are not limited to public schools.

A letter, from Milwaukee Catholic Parents Against Common Core, this week demonstrated the parents are not backing away to Reverend Jerome E. Listecki, the Archbishop of Milwaukee, who called the petition from more than 1,000 parents “insulting at best.”

“The standards of our Catholic schools far exceed the Common Core standards,”Listecki’s June 9 letter responding to the parents’ petition said. “And, parents already are welcome to review any and all aspects of our schools curriculum, but to think that parents are more qualified than our academic experts to select said curriculum is ridiculous.”

The archbishop stated, ““Quite frankly, I am at a loss as to what more I can say about this topic.””

In the parents follow up letter to the archbishop on June 16, they stated that information from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee clearly stated the schools were moving toward Common Core.

continue at The Blaze

It should be stated that the archdiocese has specifically forbidden academic experts from speaking on church property who do not support the Common Core standard(well they aren't academic experts if they don't completely agree with the archdiocese apparently).  I think everything he has said on the matter seems to fan the flames on this rather than put them out.  If there's nothing to be afraid of, why forbid speakers?  Why not in addition to condemning parents and opponents of the standard, reiterate their role as primary educators?  It's silly to only be the shepherd of diocesan school families.  I quite frankly agree with part of what he says, that we should trust the expertise of the archdiocesan staff.  Common Core isn't the source of bad liturgy in diocesan schools, or lack of Catholic devotions, or even poorly taught religious education, for example.  But taking this weird antagonistic, chest puffing approach to the whole thing I just don't understand.

Update:
NCRegister picked up the story as well

Catholic parents deliver 1,000 petition signatures to Abp Listecki to "Remove Common Core"

Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Over 1,000 concerned Catholic parents have signed a petition asking Archbishop Listecki to remove Common Core from their Catholic schools.

Evidence continues to emerge that Common Core State Standards represent untested, experimental standards that are threatening the independence of Catholic schools. Many Catholic parents share the sentiments of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the Common Core was developed for a “public school audience” and is “of its nature incomplete as it pertains to Catholic schools.”

"A Catholic school's first priority is to get children into heaven, not Harvard. Second, to teach the children how to think, not what to think. Common Core changes the integrity of our Catholic schools making them nothing more than public schools with crucifixes, statues, and prayers.”
– Heather Schweitzer

Catholic parents are frustrated that school standards were changed without adequate parental notification or input, and feel that their concerns are not being addressed by Archbishop Listecki or the Archdiocese. The other four dioceses in the state have decided to not adopt the Common Core standards. The petitioners pray that this petition will inspire the Archbishop to reverse the decision to adopt the Common Core standards in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, and to remove Common Core materials from their schools.

Media Contacts:
Steve Becker: mozdiripple@gmail.com 414.588.5214
Abby Figi: abby.m.figi@wi.rr.com 414.235.4700

About Catholic Parents Against Common Core - In the Milwaukee Archdiocese A group of concerned parents, troubled by Common Core, created a facebook page and outreach program to help educate parents about the tactics used to pass the standards, the academic cost of the standards and the impact of Common Core on the mission of the Catholic schools. We invite parents to visit our facebook page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/endcommoncoreinthemilwaukeediocese

Concerned Catholics in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, are invited to sign our online petition
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/176/132/362/end-common-core-in-the-milwaukee-archdiocese/

I think the Archdioceses approach here is totally off base.  Cutting the parents out of all the decision making on the education of their children, not letting them have meetings on church property, and who's the group with tin foil hats on their heads?  Why would anybody trust the archdiocese to educate their children when they clearly do not believe the fundamental truth of our faith, that parents are the primary educators of their children.   I have yet to see Dr. Kathleen Cepelka confirm that she even agrees with that statement.

Anti-Common Core Event Banned from Milwaukee Church’s Parish Hall

An event established to discuss the Common Core and its role in Catholic schools was barred from a parish after the superintendent of schools of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee discouraged them from hosting the event.

The Milwaukee chapter of Catholics United for the Faith has been forced to reschedule their upcoming lecture “Common Core: Dangers and Threats to Catholic Identity” with Dr. Duke Pesta, an English professor at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh and a former Catholic high school teacher, from a parish hall to a nearby hotel.

The event was originally scheduled to take place on Nov. 17, 2013, at St. John the Evangelist's Church Hall in Wisconsin, according to the flyer from Catholics United for the Faith.

But last week, A.P. Szews, president of St. Gregory's VII chapter of Catholics United for the Faith, received a phone call alerting him that the event could no longer be held on parish property because of Dr. Pesta’s involvement.

Pesta, who is one of the foremost critics of the Common Core standards, testified last month against Common Core at a public hearing in Wisconsin and has been outspoken about the dangers of its use to Catholic identity in parochial schools. He even recently appeared on Relevant Radio’s nationally syndicated The Drew Mariani Show to discuss this issue.

Szews called the archdiocese shortly after receiving word that the event was banned from using the parish hall and received an email response from Kathleen A. Cepelka, Ph.D., superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Catholic Education Daily has obtained that email.

Cepelka wrote that while she has no direct authority over the parish, she did say she had been asked about the event with Dr. Pesta. She wrote, “I discouraged having him speak at St. John’s because it’s my understanding that he has shared views in other places, which are contrary to the good faith efforts of St. John the Evangelist School and the entire Archdiocesan Schools program which attempts to provide the strongest academic program possible for our students.”

continue at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2711/Anti-Common-Core-Event-Banned-from-Church%E2%80%99s-Parish-Hall.aspx#sthash.wnbp2gY1.dpuf

Wow!

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